Smoothing surfaces in LF Works

RickJones

Hi All,

What tools are available to help with smoothing out lithology contact surfaces that have some short range variation in the position of the contact in the z plane resulting in the dimpled surface effect.

I've experimented with snaping on and off drilling and added data sets as well as adjusting the surface and global resolution. I know the offset surface function has a smoothing option that helps control relative weighting of data points but I'm creating a deposit surface from contacts so It appears that I have this option.

If I'm wanting to make adjustments will this have to be a manul process?

Cheers,
Rick.

SeanBuchanan

Hi Rick, 

You're correct by trying to turn off your Snap to Data toggle, which will let the RBF interpolation do it's things without having to snap to the data points, creating a smoother surface. If that is still creating your dimples, you could play with the surface anisotropy by setting a Global Trend. 

Do this by double clicking on your Surface in your project tree (within your Surface Chronology), navigate to the Trend tab, here you will see your Ellipsoid Ratios: Maximum, Intermed, and Minimum.
By default, these will be set to 1,1,1, making the interpolation "Isotropic", or equally waited in all directions. Changing the Ellipsoid ratios will add additional weighting of the interpolation in a preferred direction. I use this all the time if I have data points spaced far apart and I want to connect them using an intrusion.

In your case, you can try to change the Maximum and Intermed direction to 5 and 5, leave your Minimum (Which is the Z direction) as 1. This will stretch your interpolation 5 times in the North-South direction, and 5 times perpendicular in the East-West direction. This should smooth out your surfaces a bit. Also to note, this is an iterative process. If the value of 5 stretches your interpolation too much, bump it down and visa versa. 

Finally, one last thing you could try is increasing your surface resolution. You may have it a little too granular at the moment.

- You can learn more about interpolations and anisotropy here: 
https://www.seequent.com/interpolation-and-anisotropy/

- If you want to see setting a global trend in action, you can check out this video at time 30-35min https://www.seequent.com/leapfrog-works-building-a-3d-geologic-model-of-an-earthen-dam-site/

Cheers, 

Sean 

RickJones

Hi Sean, trying this now.
Thanks heaps